The Campaign

As its arrival coincided with the thunderstorm season in Thailand, we seized the opportunity for an unconventional campaign that paralleled the S90 T8 uncompromising power to the most powerful, yet purest, form of electrical power on Earth.

Creative Execution

The first-of-its-kind “Lightning-Powered Billboard” is a giant billboard with the exceptional ability to entice a lightning strike. In collaboration with the engineers from Maco Group, we erected the tallest billboard in an area where a multitude of lightning strikes have been witnessed and previously reported. Fitted with custom-engineered lightning rods designed to attract lightning bolts within a 100 meter radius, the billboard created a world-first spectacle of pure power whenever a thunderstorm occurred above.
Data collected from the meteorological department allowed the tech team to monitor the approach of a thunderstorm to the billboard, and with the help of multiple cameras and infra-red sensors, consumers could witness the unique electrical phenomenon on Volvo Car Thailand Facebook page. The “Lightning-Powered Billboard” was amplified with social media activations centered around #PurePower, and was also supported by radio, online and various digital outdoor channels.

- Over $4 Million worth of free media
- 4 Million views on digital channels
- PR Coverage in over 50 marketing/advertising publication worldwide
- Most searched "Plug-in Hybrid" brand during launch campaign period
Business results
- Generated record of 10X more leads online accelerating test-drives
- 3X more monthly sales than any previous Volvo Thailand campaign
- Biggest crowd at International Motor Expo in Volvo Thailand history

Volvo's "Lightning-Powered Billboard" was a billboard that took opportunity of the thunderstorm season in Thailand. This unconventional billboard was engineered to attract lightning bolts to descend at Volvo's famous "Thor's Hammer" headlight displaying on the billboard using lightning rods. It was presented as a new media rather than just a normal billboard, but designed to make use of everything including design, technology, nature and placement. All to launch "The New S90 T8 Plug-in Hybrid".

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

To generate buzz before its arrival in Thailand, we took advantage of the thunderstorm season by creating Volvo’s “Lightning-Powered Billboard”.
Inspired by Thor, the Swedish God of Thunder, the billboard had the exceptional ability to harness the pure power of lightning. Equipped with custom-engineered lightning rods, placed right above Volvo’s unique Thor’s Hammer headlight, it had the power to command lightning, which is the most powerful and cleanest energy to descend and metaphor that Volvo put great power in control.
Resulting to a world-first electrical phenomenon that dramatized the unexpected and unconventional power of a hybrid car in a spectacular and striking way.

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